Vicious Cycle
by LadyHallows
Summary: When Harriet Potter died for the second time she was once again given the option to live again. Only, this time, she would be sent back to 1989, to be the nine year old unknown daughter of Sirius Black and Bellatrix LeStrange nee Black, emerged into the world of Pureblood politics and the truth behind the Black family.
1. Prologue

**The Vicious Cycle**

 **Description:**

 _When Harriet Potter died for the second time she was once again given the option to live again. Only, this time, she would be sent back to 1989, to be the nine year old unknown daughter of Sirius Black and Bellatrix LeStrange nee Black, emerged into the world of Pureblood politics and the truth behind the Black family._

 **(This will be fairly short as it's only a prologue, but I hope you enjoy!)**

 **Prologue**

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There was nothing left to fight for.

The Death Eaters had captured almost every order member standing, they had invoked terror alike to no other into the heart of a community. One that was no longer standing.

Wizarding Britain didn't exist anymore; and neither did hope.

And that was what had led to this moment. Harriet Lilly Potter, standing in front of the graves of her fallen friends, white roses in hand, left as the last woman standing.

Her hands were crimson from having dug her nails into her hands, her way of coping with the undeniable pain that came with the loss of everybody she ever knew and loved, her eyes haunted and cold.

Not for the first time, she was submerged into the silence. But she wasn't alone.

She whirled around, her years of battle making her aware of the approaching enemy, despite their silencing charms. There was a group of what had to be thirteen of them, each identical to the next except for the centre one.

Voldemort himself.

There was a slim chance of her getting out of there, thirteen to one – the thirteen including the Dark Lord – didn't seem very hopeful.

Not that she had any hope left anyways.

But she'd be damned if she didn't at least take some of them to the grave with her.

And so she did.

Curses flew past the dark haired woman as she dodged and retaliated, her offence and defence skills undeniably superior to any of the twelve individual Death Eaters, but together and with the Dark Lord it was only a matter of time before her battle dance ended.

Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Marcus Flint, Adelaide Murton, Yatin Bhagat, she recognised many of the Death Eaters that she struck down as she weaved her way to Voldemort himself. Viola Richmond, Gemma Farley, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Zubeida Khan, Draco Malfoy.

Finally she was duelling Theodore Nott, perhaps a better dueller than the rest but still – whilst she was pumped on the adrenaline of her incoming death, (which was undoubtable, with Nagini still alive meaning that she couldn't kill Voldemort) not formidable enough.

Within several minutes she had blasted him to the side, turning to whirl back to face the snake-faced 'Lord', only to have an 'Avada Kedavra' thrown to her back.

And the minute the spell hit, all she knew was black.

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Harriet Potter awoke to a familiar, blinding light, the very same that had assaulted her eyes when she had awoken upon her first death. When the recognition hit her all she felt was relief, relief that she would finally be able to be at peace. See her parents, and Sirius, and Remus, and Hermione, and Ron and Cedric again.

"Your time is not up yet, Harriet," came a voice that she had long missed, the voice of Remus Lupin.

He smiled at her, lending her a hand up giving her a moment to observe him. He looked much younger than he ever had, the worn out and tired look that had been a frequent in his eyes had dissipated, the stress lines that had once marred his pale skin were gone too. He looked happy, content, and she glad for him.

But was not glad with the words that fell from his mouth, the words she spoke being, "what do you mean?"

"Fates not finished with you yet, you still have time to live, Harriet."

"So I'm going to be sent back again?" Her inquiry was filled with reluctance and slight anger, she didn't want to have to go back to a world where all her friends, all her family were dead, she didn't want to have to carry on fighting when she had nothing to fight for. Not anymore. But she would. Hermione had called it her hero complex, always putting others before herself. And no matter how much she longed to finally have peace she wouldn't use it at the cost of others.

"Yes and no," Remus informed her with a friendly smile, "you'd go back to a sort of alternate reality. You'd live your life again from the age of nine but you wouldn't be _you_ , you wouldn't be the girl who lived."

"Would I still have all my memories?" Harriet inquired of him, leaning that the answer was a 'yes' with Remus' nod, "who would I be?"

Remus grimaced slightly but none the less answered, "the daughter of Sirius and Bellatrix."

Harriet found that she rather resembled a fish in her momentary shock, "Bellatrix? But they're cousins that's-,"

"Common," Remus interrupted, "for old pure blood families."

Her mouth felt dry as she asked what would be her final question, "and if I don't?"

Remus looked at her gravely, pity evident within his chocolate brown eyes, "then you'll be a ghost, cursed to walk this earth and watch the destruction, you will never find peace."

Harriet nodded. While she was at loathe at the idea of Bellatrix being her _mother_ accompanied by the factor that she would be de-aged to the age of _nine_ she much preferred that alternative than to spending the rest of eternity watching as the factions of light and dark destroyed each other with their magic, and as muggles destroyed each other with their nuclear and atomic weapons.

Remus seemed to already know her decision, for he smiled at her understandingly before beginning to turn upon his heel, that was until she called out, "Remus." 

He turned to her.

"I'm so sorry about Tonks and Teddy, I'm so sorry I couldn't save them. I tried but I just wasn't fast enough."

"They're with me now, Harriet," Remus informed her, walking to put a hand on the shoulder of the girl he had thought of as a family member, "and your parents are so, so proud of you. Never forget that, never doubt that."

And with that he was gone.

And with that, she was gone too.


	2. Chapter 1

**Vicious Cycle**

 **Chapter 1**

When Harriet Potter emerged from the light she was exactly where she had been standing within the centre of Godric's Hollows graveyard. Only there were no bodies of fallen Death Eaters, no Lord Voldemort to advance towards.

She was alone.

The second she attempted to take a step forwards she tripped over the material that pooled at her feet. She had been wearing a dress, she recalled, a black one, one in which was now draping across the floor and meant that she had to thank her lucky stars that it was one that had material that fully covered her shoulders, otherwise it might have fell halfway down her chest.

She had no idea what she was going to do about this wardrobe malfunction, after all, she couldn't just waltz into a strangers house and ask for donations of clothing, but when she caught sight of her parents' house in the distance she knew what she could do.

It was dark. There were no tourists longing to see the monument where in which the girl who lived defeated Voldemort at this hour, there would be nobody to see her enter. And though it would feel more than a little strange and wrong, going into her deceased parents' house in order to take some of her mother's – well, not-mother in this reality – clothes she had no other option.

Hoisting up the black dress that she had worn to a funeral service that only she attended and orchestrated for her fallen friends, she began to make her way out of the haunting graveyard and towards the lights of the roads, not having far to walk before she reached the door of the house that was once where she had lived with her parents.

Strewn across the front steps were cards and stuffed animals. Picking up one of the cards she read:

 _Dear Harriet,_

 _Thank you for saving us all, rest in peace._

 _Yours Faithfully,_

 _Edward._

She picked up another which read: _Harriet Potter, a beautiful life cut too short. 31.7.80 to 12.4.86. You will be remembered!_

Harriet supposed that this universe must have killed her off then.

Pushing open the door she headed into the unfamiliar house, convincing herself not to reminisce or get distracted by the family photos – although she couldn't help but reach out and touch the faces of her parents tenderly in one – for she had no idea how she was going to go about being the daughter of Sirius Black and Bellatrix LeStrange nee Black in this new alternate reality.

It took her three rooms – including what would have once been her nursery – to find her parents' bedroom.

It was coloured cream, with pictures hanging from every wall. Ones of James with Sirius, Remus and Peter; of Lily with girls she recognised to be Marlene McKinnon and Alice Longbottom.

They were all grinning at the camera, all, within that moment, feeling the joy of life. Before it was roughly snatched from them.

Shaking her head from her own tragic thoughts she slowly opened up the wardrobe, revealing numerous articles of clothing.

She searched through and picked some of Lily's crop tops (that would fit the nine year old Harriet perfectly, perhaps even be a big too big on her malnourished frame) and some pairs of skinny jeans – that she could cut to shorts – and skinny shorts. They would be baggy on her but it was better than walking around in the ridiculous dress.

It took her little time to find a pair of scissors – thankfully, it seemed that Lily had a keen intrest in arts and crafts – and began to cut her dress, leaving it to look like she was just wearing a baggy black top - before pulling on a pair of Lily's skinny shorts that could probably fit two of her legs in.

Sighing she realised that they wouldn't stay up, therefore sending her rooting through the wardrobe for a belt, finding one stuffed below all of the hanging clothes. She was pretty sure that it was one of her father's, but it would do.

Grabbing an old rucksack out of the wardrobe she stuffed in it the crop tops and skinny jeans and shorts as well as the scissors, another belt and some pants with safety pins so they would stay up.

Grabbing all of that she looked around the room once more, knowing that with the sun rising she needed to get out of there. She tried to resist but, in the end, couldn't and picked up a photo with her parents' arms around one another, gazing at each other lovingly. She stared at it for several long seconds before putting it into the rucksack with the rest, also taking a much loved Teddy bear that she knew would have been hers and putting it in the rucksack too.

It was more of her _true_ parents than she had ever had before.

The, just as the sun began to rise, she slipped away from the family home and back onto the streets, turning into an abandoned alley before apperating to her next destination: London.

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Appearing on a street corner just outside of the Leaky Cauldron she peered around to see if anybody had seen her – they hadn't – before moving to enter through the door to the rowdy pub.

The pub was packed. People all but toppled out of it, laughing and drinking merrily despite the factor that it was early morning, or perhaps that was why and that they had been there all night long.

Harriet had to shove her way through the dense crowds, many apologising for not seeing her and squashing her as she finally got out the other side to face the stone wall that lead to Diagon Alley.

Honestly, she didn't know how she was going to go about this new world, but Gringotts would be a good place to start. Especially when she currently didn't even have the ability to introduce herself, as she wasn't even aware of her own name.

Upon entering the Alley her gaze turned to each of the stalls, smiling when she saw chattering shop owners and laughing customers, there was joy here that she hadn't seen for many years, _peace_.

That was until one store almost had her screaming bloody murder.

It was a mirror store.

And the reason why she nearly screamed? Because she, like Remus had said, was no longer _her_.

She was still malnourished, she wonder if that was because the time frame hadn't adjusted to compensate for her life _before_ she was nine so they had left her looking like she had acquired the same treatment that she had received in her real past.

But that wasn't the reason that shocked her. Her once tattered, short, always messy mane of hair was now a lustrous, shiny, thick head of long, black hair with elegant curls that fell to her waist; her eyes were a striking grey, her skin was much paler than it had been before, her cheekbones were high and as sharp as a shard of glass, accompanied by a sharp jaw. She also had long, dark lashes and heavy lidded eyes.

Harriet Potter had never thought of herself as beautiful. She had been too thin, too lanky, her eyes too wide, her knees too knobbly, her curves too tiny in her own personal opinion; but the girl who was staring back at her, despite the young age that she was now, was a great beauty.

Though she supposed that she wasn't surprised. When she had seen the memory of the fifth year Sirius he had been devilishly handsome; and when she had seen Bellatrix's trial the woman had an almost ethereal, dark beauty.

She looked a lot like Bellatrix, Harriet realised, but with Sirius' eyes and cheekbones, as well as his fuller lips, as she had remembered Bellatrix's to be thinner, though both still had the defined bow shape.

She was also taller, she recognised.

Soon enough though, Harriet pulled herself away from the mirror, reminding herself that she was on a trek to Gringotts, and she couldn't be dawdling and give somebody the opportunity to ask her what her name was or where she came from, for she had no clue how she would answer either.

Perhaps she could say that she was found on the doorstep of an orphanage and left there, it would certainly explain the malnourishment.

Sighing she walked up to the marble doors, smiling stupidly when she remembered that the last time that she had been here she had stolen from Gingotts and escaped on the back of a dragon, before she pushed open the doors.

Other than a few unimpressed looks at her clothing the goblins barely payed her any mind, clearly thinking that she would be a very unimportant client, dressed as she was.

The goblin at the front desk seemed just as intrested in her as the others, waving his hand to a piece of parchment after she had claimed that she had lost her key and demanded, "three drops of blood on the parchment for identification."

Grabbing the blade she pricked her finger, letting three drops spill out onto the piece of paper, the goblin took it before she could read the writing for herself, his eyes widening before spluttering in a way that she had never seen a goblin do before, and was most amused with, as he told her, "pardon me, Madame Black, right this way."

"Can I have my identification paper please?" She requested of him, he quickly gave it to her, continuing on leading her towards the cart to go to her vault.

She cast her grey eyes down and began to read:

 _Name: Carina Titania Estella Black_

Well, she supposed that her first name could have been worse, they could have actually named her _Titania_ , imagine the teasing that she would have got for that.

 _Age: 9_

 _Birthday: 11_ _th_ _August 1980_

 _House: Black_

 _Blood Status: Pureblood_

 _Mother: Bellatrix Irma Black nee Black_

 _Father: Sirius Orion Black_

 _Grandparents: Cygnus Black and Druella Black nee Rosier; Orion Black and Walburga Black nee Black_

 _Heirship Claims: Black, Slytherin, Peverell_

 _Abilities: Parselmouth_

Upon the second time of reading through the sheet Harriet's eyebrows furrowed, stopping on her mother's name, "I thought Bell- my mother was married to Rodolphus LeStrange."

The goblin looked at her as if she should know the reason why the paper said otherwise, but did not speak such views. He had already offended the Black (and Slytherin and Peverell) Heiress once, he dare not to do it again, "the Blacks have a binding spell that if two unweds – at least one being a part of the Black family – conceive a child then when that child is born they are automatically wed in order to prevent illegitimate children."

Well, that explains Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe getting married at thirteen, as well as Cygnus Black and Druella Rosier at the same age.

"So B- my mother and Rodolphus are no longer married?"

"Their marriage was dissolved the nanosecond that you were born."

 _The Blacks,_ Harried thought to herself, _destroying marriages since ancient times._

The two got into the cart, neither speaking a word as the cart travelled lower and lower, going deeper and deeper into the underground, further than even her other Trust Vault once was. The deeper the larger the numbers, until they ended up at _Vault 811_.

The Vault was clearly heavily guarded, requiring Harriet's blood to even begin the unlocking of the vault, and when she entered the reason why was evident. The vault was, like the LeStrange Vault (though perhaps not quite so much, it was just a trust vault after all), crammed with gold and silver coins, old jewels and artefacts littering the place.

She picked up several bags full of coins – goodness knows that she'd be needing them with nowhere to sleep and no fitting clothes, she'd also need to bribe somebody to sell her a wand – as well as a particularly beautiful ring with an amethyst centre that caught her eye.

Turning to the goblin she saw that he held out a box with a finely crafted ring within it. The band was platinum with three large onyx jems, the Black family crest upon the centre of it and dark amethysts all around it. She supposed that they must be fond of their amethysts. She could see a small inscription of writing upon it too.

 _Tonjours Pur._

The Black motto.

"This is the Black Heir ring, as the only child of the Lord it is your ring as Heiress to the most Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," the goblin informed her.

Harriet eyed it warily, "and if I do not want to claim it right now?"

"Then the ring will go to the next Heir: Draco Malfoy, the Heir must claim the ring before their tenth birthday."

While Harriet was not sure that she wanted to become the Heiress to the darkest family currently in Wizarding Britain she knew that it held a lot of power and influence. It could be catastrophic in the hands of Draco Malfoy, and she could use it to influence other purebloods to not join the fight upon Voldemorts side.

Coming to a conclusion she took the ring and slipped it upon her right middle finger, observing as it shrunk to fit the size of her finger.

 _Welcome, Harriet Potter, to your new life as Heiress Carina Black,_ Harriet thought to herself as she headed for the exit to go back to the cart, the goblin trailing after her.

Next step: get Sirius out of jail.

 **What did you guys think of this chapter? I really enjoyed writing it and I think it will be quite the adventure, I love fem!Harry's and I can't wait to involve the whole Black family, oh how I love them.**

 **Remember to follow, favourite and review if you liked it or have some questions or constructive criticism.**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **-LadyHallows**


	3. Chapter 2

**Vicious Cycle**

 **Chapter 2**

 **A/N thank you so much for all your lovely reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter :) And my birthday is August 11** **th** **too JollyRancherYum219.**

 _ **VC-VC-VC-VC**_

 _ **"A woman with thick, shining dark hair, long eyelashes and heavily hooded eyes… was sitting in the chained chair as though it were a throne." – description of Bellatrix during her trial in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.**_

In all honesty Harriet Potter – now Carina Black – had no idea how she would go about freeing her godfather from Azkaban, but she knew that to do so she would have to get to the Ministry, and to do that (if she didn't want to take that God awful Night Bus) she would have to Apperate.

And to get into the Ministry. And for all of that, especially if she had to spell somebody into listening to her or investigating for her, she would need a wand.

Ollivander would most assuredly not sell a wand to a girl of under 11 years, and Harriet also feared drawing attention to herself if she got her Holly and Phoenix Feather wand again. So she would have to journey into Knockturn Alley.

Great.

Before she would head down there, however, she knew that she would have to buy a hooded cloak – she didn't like the idea of people recognising her as a Black just yet, as she bloody well looked like one – and therefore headed off to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.

Inside Harriet easily recognised the squat witch dressed all in mauve, a friendly smile upon her face until she saw Harriet. Her mouth gaped for a moment, and she looked slightly fearful. That was until she saw Harriet's expression.

The girl who could not be more than nine looked most troubled by the older witch's expression of fear and surprise, flinching away. Therefore Madam Malkin did the best to hide her feelings, plastering on a forced smile as she informed the girl, "my, my, don't you look like your mother?"

Harriet said nothing, only nodded at the woman.

She was used to being hated, being called the Heiress of Slytherin – even if that had actually been proven today – and being called a cheater during the Triwizard Tournament and called a liar and being Undesirable Number 1, but that didn't mean that it hurt any less.

Especially when she already loathed the idea of being Bellatrix's spawn, especially when it was that woman who had so cruelly killed her godfather. The godfather that Bellatrix hated and was now married to.

Oh, the irony. People marrying the people they murdered in another world.

She wondered, rather bitterly, if this was going to be a new trend and she would be married off to Theodore Nott or Lord Voldemort, unknowing as to which one had actually shot the curse.

"What do you need?" Madam Malkin asked, though not meeting Harriet's striking grey eyes.

"Two black hooded cloaks and three sets of everyday robes please," Harriet requested of the woman, who raised a brow at her, clearly looking to where her Black Heiress ring resided.

"No formal robes? Or Heir robes?"

Harriet scrunched her face up in confusion 'Heir robes'? She wondered why she had never heard of them the last time that she went through Hogwarts, after all, the Potters too were an old family, and surely they would have required an Heiress too.

She shook her head, if she ended up needing any then she could come back for some. Madam Malkin nodded and got about measuring Harriet, tape measures magically flying everywhere and anywhere.

Eventually Madam Malkin nodded at the measurements, having jotted them all down on a piece of paper and informed her, "they will be ready in an hour."

Harriet fought to keep the frown off of her face as she left. _An hour?_ What in Merlin's name could she do until then, hopefully without getting noticed.

The last thing she needed was to be on the front cover of the Daily Prophet in an Article reading: _DAUGHTER OF ALLEGED MASS MURDERER AND PHSYCOTIC TORTUERER!_

She decided that she would take refuge in Flourish and Blotts, go hide away in the corner somewhere with her head down and a good book perhaps. And she did so, deciding that she would brush up on all of this Wizarding Heritage and Hierarchy while she was waiting.

Reading each of the titles she finally found one that she thought would give her a better insight, titled: _Understanding Thee Customs and Traditions of Families of Olde._

As well as: _Wizarding Etiquette_ and _The Heir Guide_.

Opening up the first of them she was pleasantly surprised to find a full two pages dedicated to the Black family specifically, reading:

 _The Black Family_

 _The Black family go back to the very foundations of Wizarding Britain, having the ability to trace their family back more than two thousand years._

 _Like most Pureblood families the Black family have a Lord, a Lady and an Heir or Heiress. The Lord or Lady suo jure (suo jure = in her own right) of the Black family has three seats upon the Wizengamot – the most amount of seats that any House can hold – and owns all Black properties and vaults; the wife or husband of the Lord/Lady suo jure may sit upon one of the three seats upon the Wizengamot and has access to all Black Vaults unless their rights are directly revoked by the Head of House; the Heir(ess) may take up a seat on the Wizengamot when they are recognised as an adult (normally seventeen) and has access to their trust vault and – once the age of eleven is reached – the Heir(ess) Vault as well._

 _The Head of the House of Black possesses the Lord Ring, the spouse possesses the Lady Ring and the Heir or Heiress possesses the Heir Ring, these rings will adjust in size and décor to fit gender._

 _Once placed upon your hand the ring will not leave the finger of it's owner except for in cases of death or when the Lord or Lady suo jure dies and the Heir(ess) must take up the Lord Ring rather than the Heir Ring._

Harriet scowled at the evident sexism with the 'Lord' ring and 'Heir' ring, Pureblood Society was so backward, she found, but at least it gave her an insight as to what was going on around her now.

She had always been curious about the ring that Sirius had always worn, she now guessed that it must have been the Lord Ring, which only made her wonder more why Sirius had never told her about any of this.

Also upon the two pages was a large family tree that folded out of the book to immense size. She briefly scanned it, feeling rather sorry for Lycoris and Druella – her grandmother – for their names, and found herself rather taken aback to already see herself on there. Each name had a small portrait above it, and, below the traditional Black family haunting beauty that both Sirius and Bellatrix possessed, was the name _Carina Titania Estelle Black_.

"Are you going to buy those books Miss?" The shopkeeper inquired moodily, clearly not appreciating Harriet reading without buying, swiftly she nodded, picking the three up and handing them over the counter, head down in hope that he wouldn't look closely enough to see her resemblance to anyone.

"five sickles Miss," the owner prompted, putting his hand out for the correct amount of money, without complaint Harriet passed the money over, before turning on her heel to walk out of the shop.

With no way to tell the time she merely hoped that an hour had passed as she headed back to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.

As it happened only forty-five minutes had passed but it had been a slow day for the clothes maker so, luckily for Harriet, they had already been done and prepared. Harriet quickly thanked the lady, put on one of the black hooded cloaks and began her way towards Knockturn Alley.

It was time she got herself a wand.

 _ **VC-VC-VC-VC**_

 _Moribund's._

It was a shop that she had once seen in 1992 – her past, this future – that had been locked upon her first visit, despite the orange light inside.

Today, however, she could see the full inside of it. A shop littered with aisles upon aisles of varied kind of woods and lengths, and materials in jars with a grey-haired, bearded owner looking directly at her.

Casting her eyes away from his intense pitch black ones she opened the door, looking around the room as the shopkeeper approached her.

"Carina Titania Estelle Black, I'd wondered why I hadn't seen you yet. Your mother and father had had their first wands from here at six. Your mother had broken three by the time she was your age, and your father a good few as well. I suppose I'll be seeing a lot of you, Heiress Black," the wandmaker told her, "now, hover your hand over the woods."

"What?" Harriet questioned. This wasn't how things had worked in Ollivander's, you had merely picked a wand and swished it. Why was she to _hover her hand_ over woods? Did he want a piece of wood to come to life and bite her or something just as absurd?

"Just do it, Heiress Black," the wandmaker prompted, gesturing to the aisle of woods.

Slowly and unsurely Harriet began to make her way down the path, her hands raised over two opposing, parallel aisles of woods. She carried on walking, and walking until she was near the end of the aisle when the last left wood stopped her.

She tried to physically pry her hand from the magical grip but it would not move. The wandmaker smiled, yellow and black teeth on show as he walked over to the wood in which her hand had hovered over, spreading out many different individual lengths onto a table, "now these."

Doing the same she was soon stopped by a certain length of wand, the wandmaker took that wood off the table, placing it in a black bag that she hadn't noticed that he was carrying before directing her to the aisle of jars, filled with disgusting and unknown organisms and substances.

Silently she too walked down that aisle, stopped by one material – which the strange wandmaker picked up with an eerie chuckle (she had no idea why Sirius didn't take better care of his wand in order to not have to see this man again) – and yet was drawn to another further down.

She picked that one up too and handed it to the furrowed browed wandmaker, who put that in the bag too.

He nodded to her, "you have been a most _interesting_ client, Heiress Black, your wand will be ready in two hours."

Harriet restrained from sighing. What was it with these waiting times? She found the need to free Sirius very urgent and all this waiting would be another minute that he grew more insane, that he lost more of the joyful man he once was, the man that she wanted to save and actually meet for her Sirius had been too far gone.

None the less she left the shop, deciding that she would search perhaps for an animal shop to pass the time.

That was until she heard Lucius Malfoy's hissing voice, "you are a useless, incompetent elf!"

"Dobby is sorry, Dobby will punish himself and be a better elf for Master Malfoy!" The elf was near in hysterics, and Harriet did not know that she was crying until a droplet hit her hand. Oh, how she had missed Dobby, the elf that had always believed in her and had died to help keep her friends safe.

"Well it's too late, some other person is going to have to put up with your uselessness. You're going on the auction."

The auction? Quelling down her anger at Lucius Malfoy that came with Dobby's rising cries and pleas she looked up to see a large shop reading: _The House Elf Auction House_.

There was no way that she would let Dobby go to yet another bad Master, he deserved so much better, so she rashly – a trait of hers that Hermione had most berated her for – followed the two into the auction house, knowing that she would fight for Dobby.

When she entered she wished that she had taken more of an interest in SPEW for there were at least half a dozen fearful elves in chains, either awaiting to be auctioned off or with a big red _SOLD_ on a sign upon their chest.

Her heart broke when she saw a small female elf – Biffy they claimed her name to be – being shoved forward, fear evident in her eyes.

"20 knuts!" One man called out.

"2 sickles!" Another called, this time a woman.

"5 sickles!" 

Harriet spoke before she had even thought, "a galleon!" holding up the number _172_ that she had gotten on the way in.

There was a murmuring in the crowd, she heard many proclaiming, 'for that thing? It isn't worth a galleon'. That only made her more enraged.

The auctioneer called out for anymore bids but there was none, and the trembling elf was proclaimed the property of ' _number 172'_. By elf magic, Harriet supposed, Biffy immediately appeared by her side, the little elf's gaze was down on the floor, not meeting Harriet's eyes.

Ignoring anyone watching her Harriet leant down, took the elf's small hand and smiled at her when Biffy curiously looked up, "hello, Biffy, I'm Harr- Carina. I'm Carina and I'm going to be looking after you from now on, if you ever want something just ask and you can have it, if you want wages then you can have them. I'd like to be your friend."

The elf looked at Harriet with such hope that it pained her.

"Really? Mistress wants to be Biffy's friend?" Biffy questioned in wonder, her triangle shaped ears perking up at the very idea.

"Really, now we're going to get Dobby and then I need to go and pick up my wand, how does that sound Biffy?"

 _ **VC-VC-VC-VC**_

Harriet had found it hard to refrain from buying all the elves in there, but had finally exited, after almost two hours and a half (Dobby had been one of the last elves to go up) with a smiling and hopeful Dobby and Biffy by her sides, talking merrily.

It warmed her to think that she had just made two little lives just that much brighter, but the factor that she now had Dobby also scared her. In her time line Dobby had served the Malfoy's until the end of her second year, whereas the Malfoys had gotten rid of Dobby far earlier in this timeline.

It made her wonder how much else had changed, and what that could mean for her, Sirius and how her life would play out this time.

When they opened the door to the wand shop it seemed as if the wandmaker had already known that she was coming, her wand in his hand as he described to her, "yew wood, 15.5 inches, unyielding, Basilisk Skin and Threstral Tail Hair core."

Harriet took the wand from the wandmakers out stretched arm, a feeling of immense power passing through her as emerald green exploded from the tip.

The wandmaker smirked, "you will do fantastic things, Heiress Black, terrible or great. For you hold a wand of death and rebirth."

She almost laughed. The wand of death and rebirth, she's only died and been brought back twice, it rather fits her. She was surprised by the cores though. Hermione's rantings on wandlore gave her the knowledge that they were exceptionally rare.

She also knew that Basalisk Skin cores only bonded to Parselmouths, so that means that the wandmaker must know.

She looked up, hoping to be able to ask him to keep it on the quiet side but he was already gone, having vanished from his own shop – along with all of his items.

When she wondered out of the shop once more she looked back in and saw what she had seen the first time that she had been in Knockturn Alley, merely a shop with orange lighting that was seemingly completely empty, and a locked door.

Though confused about such events she knew that she did not have the time to stay and ponder, not if she wanted Sirius out of Azkaban and _soon_ , so she rounded the corner into an abandoned alley and she was gone with a pop, ending up directly in a toilet cubicle for the worker's entrance into the ministry of magic (she didn't need that damn phone box asking for her intentions), proceeding to step into the toilet before flushing herself down.

 _ **VC-VC-VC-VC**_

 _Amelia Bones_

 _Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement_.

Nymphadora Tonks had once remarked to Harriet that Amelia Bones was fair and that she would hear Harriet now, and the said woman had voted for Harriet to be cleared of all charges during her trial, and she hoped that the said woman would help her now.

Knocking on the door she heard a deep woman's voice call, "come in!"

Amelia Bones looked a lot younger than how she would looked when Harriet was fifteen in her timeline, the woman's hair was a longer dark brown rather than a short grey, the frown lines that marred her skin were less prominent and the tight-lipped smile that she offered the physically nine year old girl more genuine, "hello, what are you doing here? Where are your parents?"

Harriet knew that Amelia was raising her niece – Susan Bones – and that was probably the reason for the stern woman's kindness towards her, a kindness that Harriet was sure would work to her advantage. Giving the older woman a shy smile Harriet answered, "that's actually what I've come to talk to you about, Madam Bones. My father is in Azkaban but he was never given a trial, I believe that he is innocent."

"That's impossible," Amelia informed her, firmly but softly, "everybody is given a trial."

"Please, just look up his file," Harriet begged, knowing that this might be her only chance, "my father's name is Sirius Black."

Amelia's gaze snapped to hers in surprise, "please."

Sighing the older woman nodded, deciding to at least humour the child so that she could give her the proof that her father was indeed given a trial. She moved over to a cabinet where all the files were kept, rifling through until she found the surname _Black_.

 _Bellatrix Black._

 _Sirius Black._

Having found his file she picked it up and took it over to the table where the young girl was waiting eagerly. She watched as the eldest Bones read the file, mouth uncharacteristically dropping slightly in shock when she found that the young girl's words ran true.

Sirius Black, the Lord Black, had had no trial.

Harriet was tempted to proclaim _see_ but knew that that was childish, and would not help her in any way, instead she observed as Amelia Bones dialled a number into the phone in front of her, it calling before somebody answered, "yes, this is Madam Amelia Bones, Proxy to the House of Bones, and I would like to set up a trial for Prisoner 390: Sirius Black."

 **What do you guys think of this chapter? I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter we'll be seeing Sirius' trial and – perhaps – his reaction to Harriet (or Carina Black as he will know her as). What do you think of Harriet having Dobby and Biffy?**

 **Remember to follow and favourite if you are enjoying this book and review your opinion!**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **-LadyHallows**

 **P.S is anybody else excited for when Bellatrix will come into the story?**


	4. Chapter 3

**Vicious Cycle**

 **Chapter 3**

 **A/N to answer ninjaaa0006: Bellatrix did not marry Sirius necessarily but they are married. It will go into more depth in this chapter but it's called the 'Black Binding' where if a Black has conceived a child with another then they shall be wed upon the birth of the baby to ensure that the child is legitimate, magic made Bellatrix and Sirius marry, not a ceremony necessarily.**

 **So Bellatrix still tortured the Longbottoms and is still a Death Eater, and yes, you'll be some of the surviving family of the Blacks in this chapter :)**

 **Thank you again for all your support!**

 **Please review it really makes me more passionate to write and will equal quicker updates ;)**

A week today Sirius Orion Black would be brought forth before the Wizengamot for his trial, if found guilty he would immediately be given the dementor's kiss and if found innocent then he would be able to walk free with 100,000 Galleons for every year he had stayed in Azkaban, and Harriet could not be more relieved to have such knowledge.

Her godfather – her _father_ in this timeline – would soon be a free man four years before he would of (or should of, unless this strange timeline would have changed that too) broken out.

Blowing a strand of midnight curls off of her face she made her way down the steps of the inn in which she was staying above – The Whyte Brewer's Inn – to sit at one of the tables. Her initial idea had been to stay at the Leaky Cauldron but she was positive that Tom (the friendly barman) would have asked more questions than she could answer.

Whereas in this pub, halfway between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, asked no questions as long as you had the right amount of money, which, luckily – as the Black Heiress – she had more than enough of.

However Harriet's chipper mood of knowing her… whatever would soon be released was soon gone as soon as she took a swing of her Pumpkin Juice whilst reading the Daily Prophet Headline.

 _NOTORIOUS MASS MURDERER LORD SIRIUS BLACK GRANTED A TRIAL!_

 _By Rita Skeeter_

At the name Harriet felt the sudden urge to stab the article with a nearby fork.

Which she did.

 _On Sunday 12_ _th_ _February Amelia Bones, Proxy for the House of Bones and Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department, requested a trial for Lord Sirius Black, which was granted._

 _It turns out that Lord Black never received a trial, when we tried to reach Ex-Minister Bangold for a statement it was denied._

 _Could Black truly be innocent? After all, the Black family are notorious for delving into the Dark Arts (Black's own cousin, Bellatrix LeStrange nee Black, is currently in Azkaban as well for the murder of 107 muggleborns, 'blood traitors' and muggles as well as the use of the unforgivable curses) and there are many eye witness accounts to testify otherwise._

 _One witness – an Auror who had been on the squad that detained Black – reports: "when we caught Lord Black he was laughing madly, chanting to himself 'it's my fault' over and over. He said he was guilty. I cannot think of a reason why he would say such words if he had not committed the crime himself. Whether the man is innocent or, more likely, not he's still insane!"_

 _From another source, an old classmate of Lord Sirius Black's – Severus Snape, now the Potions Master at Hogwarts – informed us, "Black has always been a dark wizard. You should have seen some of the spells he'd use on others to bully them. He was cruel, selfish and insane. I, for one, am sure that he is guilty and I – as a person who was in many of Black's classes in the seven years that he attended Hogwarts – do not think that he needs or deserves a trial."_

Harriet sneered at Snape's statement, noting how he didn't give Sirius his rightful title when talking about him as well as acknowledging just how petty the man – who would currently be around twenty-nine – was being. He may have been a mass help in her timeline's war and protected her but that didn't change all of the bad things that he had done and that he was, overall, a crap teacher.

 _However, it also seems that we've got a mystery on her hands! We have been able to receive the information that the person who requested Black's trial was none other than Heiress Carina Titania Estelle Black, obviously the daughter of Lord Sirius Black!_

 _I, for one, am wondering where this Heiress has been all these years and how we have never heard of Lord Sirius Black's marriage! Unless, it was due to the Black Binding, where if an Black conceives a child with an_ another _then the two are married upon arrival of the babe._

 _See Pg 5 for the Crimes of Lord Sirius Orion Black_

 _See Pg 6 for the Crimes of Lady Bellatrix Irma LeStrange nee Black_

 _See Pg 8 for the Black Family_

 _See Pg 14 for the Black Binding_

 _See Pg 16 for Theories on Heiress Carina Titania Estelle Black_

Harriet felt like whacking her head against a wall. Great. So now everybody knew of her and were asking questions that she truly had no answer to. She supposed that she could claim to have been raised by some distant relative.

Taking out her book on _Understanding Thee Customs and Traditions of Families of Olde_ again she swiftly flicked to the Black family tree, searching for a family member that had died between 1986-89.

There was only one, a man whom had previously been blasted off of the tapestry so that she could not see him but in this book, it seemed, the disowned (like _Iola Hitchens nee Black_ ) had not been crossed off.

Therefore _Marius Black_ was still upon the family tree, dates reading _1917-1988_ who had married _Vensula Selwyn_ – whom Harriet assumed was a squib from the Selwyn line – whose dates read _1921-1989._ The couple had had a son – _Victor Black (1940-1980)_ – and he had gone on to have two daughters of his own but as Victor had not been magical either there would be nobody to contest to the factor that she could have been raised by Marius and Vensula for several years.

Therefore that would be her excuse. That, when she was young, Marius and Vensula found her and decided to take her in, until last month when Vensula died, leaving her a note with the name of her father and beliefs that he was innocent, so Harriet – well, Carina – came over from France (where she would claim that she lived with them, she supposed that she'd have to learn some French to keep up with this story) to England on a quest to free her father.

Sounds believable enough, she supposed.

 _ **VC-VC-VC-VC**_

Upon an island stood a seemingly impenetrable fortress, it's mass triangle structure and exceptional high intimidating even the bravest of wizards and witches. And yet that wasn't the most fearsome thing about it.

For around it's grounds and within it's halls dementors roamed, maliciously sucking every inch of happiness, every droplet of joy, from it's inhabitants and visitors alike.

The higher the floors went, the more dense the amount of dementors. And upon the topmost floor, nearing the end of the hallway lay a fearsome creature.

A grimm. A sign of death, many proclaimed, ironic that it was the only thing that gave this man the will to live on.

That was until he heard a mass number of footsteps storming down the hall towards his cell, swiftly changing back to human form instead of the dog lay a man that looked as if he were a living corpse, his skin yellow and clinging to his bones, his teeth rotten and hair long and mangled.

The marching feet ended at his cell. He looked up to see at least seven Auror guards looking down at him, the prisoner's warden at their side.

"Is this Lord Black?"

"Yes, Sir. Prisoner 390."

So the man who had inquired the animagus' name nodded at his men to take the man by his arms and pull him to standing.

Prisoner 390's brows furrowed in confusion as he began to be hauled through the hallway. He had so many inquiries but with such scarce drinking water, so much that his throat felt like sand paper, it being excruciating to swallow, he was only able to rasp out, "why?"

One of the Auror's looked at him with contempt, but answered him none the less, "because your _daughter_ Heiress Carina Black, has requested that you get a trial. Not that you need one, we all know that your guilty."

It seemed, however, that it was not just Prisoner 390 – Lord Sirius Orion Black – who heard the words spoken by the Auror, but also Prisoner 93: Bellatrix.

Her strangled voice rang in his ears as he continued to be dragged, "you better look after her Black! You better!"

At first he had thought that her rantings were just another point proven about her lunacy, that was until he remembered. He remembered _that night_. November 19th 1979.

He had a daughter with – he was _married_ to – Bellatrix LeStrange.

No, she'd be Bellatrix Black nee Black now.

He was so screwed.

 **VC-VC-VC-VC**

Harriet was more than pleased when she received the letter that Sirius had been moved from Azkaban to a Ministry holding cell, knowing that he was now far from the dementors reach was most comforting.

What was not comforting, however, was a letter that she also received that day.

 _Dear Heiress Carina Titania Estelle Black of the House of Black,_

 _We were most surprised and pleased by the announcement of your existence, especially as we had been faced with the realisation that our house may have been dying out._

 _I hereby extend an invitation for you to join us for supper this evening at 12 Grimmauld Place at 6:30pm, it is requested that you wear formal robes with the crest of the house of Black._

 _Yours Sincerely,_

 _Lady Dowager Walburga Ursula Black nee Black of the House of Black._

Harriet groaned. Walburga Black was meant to be four years dead by now, but no, apparently the timeline didn't feel like having the bat shit crazy lady die in 1985 instead leaving her to be a pain for Harriet.

Brilliant.

Well, if she wanted to be able to influence others to not join Voldemort this time around by using power and influence as an Heiress then she couldn't seem like an outcast or be disowned by this family.

 _Dear Lady Dowager Walburga Ursula Black nee Black of the House of Black,_

 _I would be most honoured to attend a supper at Grimmauld Place, I will be there on time._

 _Kind Regards,_

 _Heiress_ _H_ _Carina Titania Estelle Black of the House of Black._

She frowned where she had slipped up and done an 'H' but as nine year olds make spelling mistakes all the time she was positive that her… grandmother would not look into it so deeply.

Knowing that she would now have to go to Madam Malkins Robes for All Occasions again Harriet was most grateful that she knew how to apperate – after all, she was terrible at flooing anywhere – and disappeared with a 'POP' only to reappear down an alley way, onkly meters away from the vibrant shops and stalls of Diagon Alley.

Madam Malkins' shop was easy enough to spot, both due to it's central location and the factor that Harriet had been there many times before, and she soon began to make her way over to it.

It was a bit busier than last time, several people being fitted at the same time whilst Madam Malkin all but danced around them, her quill and notes flying behind her as they noted everybody's measurements.

When she saw Harriet she smiled instead of cowered this time, putting the young Heiress in her last available space before finishing up the measurements of the boy standing next to her.

Peeping over she saw that the boy had bright blue-grey eyes that stared on stonily forward and hair of such darkness that it rivalled her own, the boy had a sharp jaw line and painfully high cheekbones. Long, dark lashes and porcelain skin.

Theodore Nott, she recognised. A Slytherin who had been in her year of whom, if she was not mistaken, she had had a crush on throughout her second and third years. Very good looking, arrogant and rather mysterious.

She had gone off of him swiftly enough when she saw him being cruel to a younger student. She supposed that she would have to make friends with him – and _Malfoy_ (the very thought of the blonde ferret made her want to vomit) – in this time frame to be the perfect Pureblooded Heiress that she needed to be in order to influence people, and – if necessary – manipulate them, to the correct side of the war. The side that apposed the self proclaimed 'Lord Voldemort'.

"It is rude to stare," came the drawling voice of the Nott Heir.

Harriet bid her temper down but still delivered the boy with a glare, turning back as Madam Malkin approached her.

"Let me guess, formal and heiress robes?" Madam Malkin inquired with a smile as she approached Harriet once more. Clearly the woman had realised that she was not some pompous, arrogant, cocky idiot (exhibit Theodore Nott) and was no longer afraid, and Harriet could not be more glad.

She smiled charmingly at the woman, "yes please, two of both with the House of Black crest upon them."

She knew that she also had the Heirdoms of Peverell and Slytherin to deal with but she would rather not complicate things further nor bring more attention to herself, but she definitely would claim them before she went to Hogwarts for being the Heiress to three houses – and those houses being Black, Slytherin and Peverell to boot – would give her more of the influence needed to be able to deter classmates from the dark side.

Madam Malkin did not need her measurements as she had been in here only a few days prior so simply began to try different styles, inquiring as to what colour schemes Harriet wanted to which she replied to have one green and one purple for both – she did not think that she could stand to wear red again after being covered in the blood of her family and friends during the war.

She could feel the Nott Heir's eyes upon her, she supposed that he was taken aback that she turned out to be the mysterious Black Heiress, whilst Madam Malkin bustled about before informing Harriet that her robes would be ready in two hours.

Harriet really, really hated waiting but none the less it would give her the time to see if Hedwig was in Eeylops Owl Emporium yet, or to buy a new broom from Quality Quidditch Supplies, oh how she missed flying.

Wondering out she began to head towards said owl shop, only to be dismayed when she found that her beloved owl – of whom had perished in the _Battle of the Seven Harriets_ – was not yet there. So instead she wondered into Magical Menagerie, deciding to see if Hermione's Crookshanks was there yet, poor cat.

When she wondered in, however, she did not expect to hear a voice calling out to her.

" _The speaker approaches, come speaker."_

At first her brows had furrowed before she had realised what the talker meant by 'speaker'. Parseltongue. Harriet began looking around for a snake, soon seeing a giant, violet King Cobra raising it's head to meet her eyes.

" _What do you want?"_ Harriet inquired of it, eyes narrowed upon the deadly snake.

The snake's beady black eyes bored into her own, _"I wish to be your familiar."_

" _What's a familiar?"_

" _A familiar, young one, is a bond between an animal and a human, the animal is able to be a part of the human and the human can draw on the animal's strength and abilities. You are one of the only Parselmouths in the world and I wish to be bonded to you."_

Harriet nodded at the King Cobra's answer. To be able to draw upon the abilities of the King Cobra would be extremely beneficial, also it would work as a way of intimidating and to make the Black family be more inclined to accept her. After all, what family like the Black's would think to turn away one of the two only Parselmouths left?

So she decided to query of the owner the price of the snake. They looked at her as if she were mad to want the King Cobra but informed her that she could have it for a measly 4 sickles as nobody else wanted it.

The King Cobra hissed in glee when she picked up it's cage, taking it from the shop before she inquired of it, _"what is your name?"_

" _Bellator."_

 **VC-VC-VC-VC**

Straightening out her formal, emerald green robes she coaxed Bellator into her wrist, where in which the snake disappeared to form an elegant violet tattoo. Inhaling in a deep breath Harriet hoped that she would not fall – needing to take floo travel to refrain from the Blacks finding out that she could apperate – as she entered in the fireplace of the Inn in which she was staying in, calling out, "12 Grimmauld Place," before disappearing with the roar of the flames.

 **VC-VC-VC-VC**

When Harriet arrived at Grimmauld Place, somehow managing to remain on her two feet, she found about eight people staring at her.

Walburga Black, Druella Black nee Rosier, Cygnus Black, Pollux Black, Irma Black nee Crabbe, Melania Black nee McMillan, Narcissa Malfoy nee Black and Lucretia Prewett nee Black she recognised from Sirius' showing to her of his family tree, and Narcissa from the Quidditch World Cup and Battle of Hogwarts.

A woman with golden blonde hair narrowed her eyes at Harriet, stating, "you look just like my Bella."

Harriet inwardly sighed, better get her parentage out of the way to begin with, "that's because I'm the daughter of Lord Sirius Orion Black and Lady Bellatrix Irma Black nee Black."

Walburga – who Harriet recognised from Grimmauld Place's portrait – grinned wildly at such an admittance, "I had told Sirius that he should have married Bellatrix. Looks like they did after all! Seems like that boy was good for at least something."

Harriet scowled at the cruel words about her father, something that another blonde haired, older lady picked up upon. Frowning at Walburga Melania stated, "hush about Sirius, Walburga you're upsetting the girl."

Walburga reluctantly kept her trap shut.

"I'm your great-grandmother, Lady Dowager Melania Black nee McMillan, but you may call me 'nana'. Welcome to Grimmauld Place."

The woman who had spoken earlier – Druella Black, her grandmother – offered her a half-smile, half-smirk as she asked of Harriet, "I'm your maternal grandmother. And where have you been all these years?"

"I've been with Uncle Marius Black in France, I came over to England in order to try to free me father as I just know that he is innocent," Harriet informed them, keeping to the story that she had decided upon at an earlier date.

Many gasped and looked rather off put at knowing that a squib had raised their relative for the past eight years, as Bellatrix had been taken to Azkaban but a fortnight after Sirius.

"That will simply not do," stated Pollux Black, frowning as he observed Harriet, "as the Heiress to the House of Black you should be spotless in etiquette, politics, family history, astronomy, law, dancing and posture as well as should be delving into some of the Black family spells. Tell me, Heiress Carina, did your 'Uncle Marius' teach you any of that?"

Harriet shook her head.

"Well," stated Cassiopeia Black, fearsome dark eyes burning holes within Harriet's striking grey ones, "we better get started soon then."

During that evening, when Walburga and Cassiopeia got into an argument that then brought Irma in as they turned her wig 'Gryffindor red' accidentally and Pollux in as they made pixies attack him and then Cygnus in as they made his ears grow and vanished his clothes to wear a cloth like Kreature Harriet Potter – or Carina Black now – couldn't help but think that Death had it out for her.

After all, why else would he stick her as a member of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black?


End file.
